Lowe city's new recruiter

Friday, October 29, 2010By Clint Confehr, Senior Staff Writer

Greg Lowe was promoted to be the city's industrial recruiter Thursday by City Manager Eddie Fuller.

Having received a unanimous recommendation to promote Lewisburg's stormwater manager to be the city's industrial recruiter, the outgoing city manager on Thursday promoted a local man who started working for the city as codes enforcement officer.

Greg Lowe, 41, was promoted by City Manager Eddie Fuller whose retirement officially begins this afternoon, although he's agreed to be a consultant for the city as officials search for a successor. Fuller met with Lowe yesterday about his new duties.

In a phone call Wednesday night, Mayor Barbara Woods advised Lowe of a unanimous vote by a Review Committee screening applicants and she shared the story about the dog that chased a car and then caught it.

"I'm about to find out what its like," Lowe said.

Lowe started working at City Hall "four years ago this April," he said. He was hired as a codes enforcement officer as he was leaving the newspaper business. Lowe is a former editor of the Marshall County Tribune. On July 8, he succeeded Corey Pleas as stormwater director, a position that has been important because of civil penalties and state mandates. In an economy move, the codes and stormwater jobs were merged.

Clearly happy about his recommendation on Thursday, Lowe said he's grateful and wants to implement his plan to develop industry and business in Lewisburg. His two-pronged plan is based on recruitment and retention. He was assisting the now-former industrial recruiter, Terry Wallace, by attending trade shows with Mike Wiles, the executive director of the Joint Economic and Community Development Board (JECDB).

Expansion of existing businesses is a significant part of almost any development job, Lowe agreed: "Most new jobs that are created come from existing industry."

Lowe was the first applicant to be interviewed by a review committee that included JECDB Executive Director Mike Wiles, Eddie Wiles, chairman of the city's Industrial Development Board, the city's Community Development Committee chairman, Edmund Roberts who's also vice chairman of the JECDB; Gary Davis, a member of the city's Planning Commission; and the mayor.

B. Shane Burris, the former Monroe County industrial recruiter, was interviewed Tuesday. Two other men on the review committee's short list withdrew. One found another job and the other said the pay wasn't enough.

Wallace was paid about $66,000 annually. The salary range for the job as advertised was $35,000 to $70,000. Lowe's new salary is $55,000.

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Congratulations to Greg Lowe! He is an asset to this community. I was very happy with his work with Codes, so its a shame to see him out of that department. But he will do a great job in his new position!